Learn Spanish (Latin America): Ese cantante escribe una canción triste.

The word eso is neutral and is only used for abstract ideas or unknown objects, like when you point and ask "What is that?". Because cantante is a specific masculine noun in this sentence, we must use the masculine form for "that", which is ese.

How do we know if cantante is a male or female singer?

Words ending in -nte, like cantante (singer) or estudiante (student), often use the exact same form for both men and women. We know this specific singer is male because the sentence uses the masculine word ese. If she were a female singer, the sentence would say esa cantante.

Why does triste come after canción?

In Spanish, adjectives (describing words) usually come right after the noun they describe. So instead of "sad song", we say canción triste (song sad).

Does the word triste change if the noun is masculine?

No! Adjectives that end in -e, like triste, grande, or inteligente, use the exact same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. They only change if the noun is plural, in which case you just add an -s.

Is there an easy way to remember that canción is feminine?